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Bree began to pace back and forth in Rafe’s quarters. Somehow, Fillan knew this about Taveon as well, and he was telling her to use that power to survive thefights.
Did Taveon realize she could harness that much of his power? He must not have put two and two together himself or else he would have mentioned it by now. So, how did Fillanknow?
This could change everything. If Bree used Taveon’s power, and if she became impossible to kill, then there would be no need for her to kill anyone at all in these fights. She would be indestructible. She would not have to throw all her rage into keeping herselfalive.
She could merely do what she did today, even with the strongerfighters.
Bree’s feet paused on the floor as she heard another knock at the door. Was it Fillan again? Or had Rafe returned? No, Rafe wouldn’tknock.
It must be Lord Dagen. Bree’s heart sunk. She didn’t think she could face him again. He had looked so...defeated standing before her in the fighting pit, almost as though he knew all his attempts to stop Prince Taveon from ascending to the throne were now coming back to bite him on theass.
He’d lost, and he knew it. And he just wouldn’t let itgo.
With a heavy sigh, Bree crossed the room and yanked the door open. “Lord Dagen,I—”
But then the words froze in her throat. Because the male standing before her was not the conniving, spying fae she’d expected. It was the champion from the fighting pit, and he held a sword in his shaking hands. The tip was pressed right up against Bree’s stomach, so tight that it almost bit through her tunic and into herskin.
Her heart tumbled inside her chest, and her blood roared in her ears. The champion had clearly healed then. He was alive and kicking and well enough to come after her now with revenge in hisheart.
“Stop,” she whispered, swallowing hard. “You do not wish to dothis.”
“Oh, but I do,” he said in a low growl before shoving his blade just a bit harder against her stomach. This time, it did pierce the tunic, and she winced as it sliced against her flesh. “Step back inside. Do notscream.”
Bree swallowed hard and did what he asked. Two stepsback.
He closed the door behind him, and then levelled his gaze at Bree. “Why did you not kill me? You have stolen my honor fromme.”
“Okay, dude. Maybe you should consider that by stealing you of your honor, it means I didn’t, you know, steal your life awayinstead.”
As much as Bree was starting to feel as though she kind of fit in here, the Dark Fae could still be truly alien toher.
“All you did was put a momentary pause on our battle,” he said, shoving the tip of his sword just a bit deeper into her skin. She winced against the pain but did her best to keep her expression blank. She couldn’t let him see just how much the blade hurt. “The winner of the battle is the one who survives. Theone. Therefore, one of us still needs to die. And I have decided that it will beyou.”
Bree’s mind began to race as she slowly eased a half a step back. Not enough that he would notice but enough to take the pressure of the sword off her chest. “I believe Lord Dagen agreed that I am the winner. So, no. Nobody needs to die heretonight.”
“Lord Dagen.” The champion let out a bitter chuckle. “We do not care what Lord Dagen thinks. All of the members of the Court are corrupt and cruel. It is time that a new order takes over thisrealm.”
“Oh yeah? And what order is that?” Bree figured that if she could keep the guy talking that it was more and more likely she would be able to figure a way out of this. She stuck one hand behind her back, just like she’d done with Fillan. Time to get out the trusty oldclaw.
“Me and my kind. Anken’s kind. The WildeFae.”
Bree cocked her head, wincing when her claws struggled to break through the skin again. She was so very tired. Even her eyelids struggled to remain open. After training, shifting in the fighting pit, and forcing her hand into a claw for Fillan, she could barely think straight, let alone shift now. “I thought Anken was one of the King’s bastards. He’s certainly got the wings tomatch.”
“Son of the King. Son of the Wilde Fae. His mother was one of us, and so ishe.”
“I see.” Bree was starting to run out of things to talk about. So, the Wilde Fae were making their move. She wasn’t surprised. Taveon had said they’d had their eyes set on the Court for manyyears.
“Do you really see?” The champion flashed Bree a wicked smile. “We were there that day that you and Prince Taveon killed our kin. You try and act as though you are better than us, but you are just the same. The Wild Fae are beneath you. It will neverchange.”
Bree’s heart beat a little faster, especially when she saw the wild look in the champion’s eyes. She hadn’t realized that any other fae had been there that day. She’d thought they’d taken them all out. She’d thought they’d won. But really, their victory had only led to this moment now, when Bree stared down the blade of her impendingdefeat.
“You attacked us first,” she said quietly. “We were defendingourselves.”
“We attacked you because the King attacked us first many, many years ago,” he said, his voice nearly a shout. “And any chance hegot!”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. And she truly was. “But the King’s actions are not my own. They aren’t the Prince’seither.”
“No matter,” he said, voice vicious and cold. “We have been working toward our victory for weeks. Anken is a clever fae. He has been using your Lady Ethne, pretending to romance her so he can sneak inside this castle and kill you all. You may have stopped us before, but there is nowhere for you to hidenow.”
Bree stared into his eyes. Was he truly saying what it seemed like he wassaying?”
“It was you? You were the one behind the attacks all along?” she asked. And then her heart clenched tight as she thought of Ethne, at the look on her face when she’d spoken of her paramour. This would destroy her when she foundout.
“Me and all my kin.” He narrowed his eyes and stepped closer. “And now it is time to avenge the deaths of our fallen brethren and take this realm as ours, once and forall.”
And then he shoved the blade right into Bree’s stomach. She cried out, eyes rolling into the back of her head. The pain was unbearable. She couldn’t even see anything but the darkness that now spread across her vision. She clenched her hands tight. Those claws. Those useless claws that would not come to her when it matteredmost.
The world disappeared into a tunnel of pureblack.
